The community our school lies in has so much rich history. We knew that our 2nd grade students would be fascinated to know that our very own building used to house a pool for Navy Seal Team 6 to train in. There are so many interesting stories to gather from the people who knew this community as the Naval Training Center. We thought this project would be a great entry point for students to delve into learning about the past and how one community can change over time. Through this project, students also became experts on Liberty Station, as we know it today and how it serves our community in the present. They then created a mobile website about Liberty Station.

Teacher Reflection
This was the founding year of our elementary school. Our students came from diverse neighborhoods within San Diego county. As we began learning and sharing about our unique neighborhoods in the first months of school, students began sharing their interests and curiosities about our school’s surroundings, Liberty Station. We took many walking trips from school to local businesses and met with Naval Training Center experts to learn about the history of our school’s building and community. It was rewarding to see students connect and apply learned information towards the creation of a kid-friendly, mobile website to then educate our greater community.

Student reflection
I really liked walking around Liberty Station because we got to witness and learn about the past and the present. I also really liked how we made a website about it. It wasn’t just for us to access, but for other people to use and learn! —Lillian